The Mercenary Queen Strikes Back (Lily Hastings) novel Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Since Damien Thorn was here, the man standing beside him could only be Aiden.

Aiden, known across the world as the most brutal man alive and Damien Thorn’s right–hand enforcer, was tall, handsome, and built like a soldier.

His golden hair fell loosely across his forehead, highlighting the chiseled lines of his striking face.

Yet, unlike Damien, Aiden barely drew any attention from the girls nearby.

Because next to Damien Thorn, everyone else paled in comparison.

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Even with half his face hidden behind a black mask, Damien’s quiet, dangerous aura was enough to command every gaze around him.

From where she stood among the students, Nova studied the two figures in the corner carefully.

She had deliberately concealed her presence, blending into the crowd while observing them.

But before she could even look away, Damien Thorn–whose cold expression alone kept the nearby girls too intimidated to approach–suddenly shifted his gaze.

His sharp eyes sliced through the crowd and locked onto her in an instant.

‘Such keen perception. No wonder they call him the world’s most lethal assassin, Nova thought, her pulse quickening despite herself.

She had kept her attention subtle, her presence nearly invisible–yet he had still found her.

Nova immediately turned her head, breaking eye contact.

She didn’t know why Damien Thorn had shown up at Saint Laurel Royal Academy, but one thing was certain.

His presence here could not mean anything good.

He was her enemy.

And enemies always crossed paths eventually.

‘In the end, which of us will come out on top?‘ she wondered.

“Nova, what are you looking at?” Sophia’s curious voice broke in.

She had noticed Nova staring in one direction for quite some time.

As she spoke, Sophia followed Nova’s line of sight–but saw nothing unusual.

“Huh? There’s nothing there. Were you spacing out, or are you just paying attention to the instructor?” she asked, tilting her head.

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Chapter 30

Nova arched a brow and looked back toward where Damien and Aiden had been standing.

But they were gone, vanished without a trace.

Of course, they had left. Where to, she couldn’t guess.

“Nothing.” Nova said quietly.

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“Ethan already went back to his class,” Sophia went on, still cheerful. “He said you looked really focused while listening to Mr. Lawson, so he didn’t want to interrupt you,

“He told me to tell you he’ll find you again once we get to the survival site.”

Sophia echoed what Ethan had told her before leaving.

Both Sophia and Ethan thought Nova had been paying close attention to Sayer’s speech.

They assumed she was just as curious and excited as everyone else about her first wilderness training.

“Okay,” Nova replied simply.

By now, Sayer Lawson had finished explaining the safety precautions for the upcoming seven–day, seven- night survival challenge.

Students were allowed to bring snacks, instant meals, and camping gear–tents, sleeping bags, lighters, and so

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But they were warned never to leave fires unattended at night and to avoid touching or eating any unknown plants in the forest.

Sayer continued, his voice steady and commanding, “To ensure everyone’s safety and make sure no one gets lost, we’ve decided that all participants will enter the forest in small groups.

“Each group will consist of twenty students. You’re free to choose your own teammates.”

He added, “Each group must elect a leader–someone responsible for headcount every morning, afternoon, and evening, to confirm that no one has gone missing.

“The group leaders will each receive a walkie–talkie so they can stay in contact with us at all times.”

He paused briefly before adding, “Since everyone’s already gathered here on the field, I’ll give you one hour to form your groups and choose your leaders.”

After that, he handed the microphone to a nearby school official and concluded, “Once your groups are set, the leader can collect a walkie–talkie from the teachers‘ station.

“Then you’ll board the buses and head straight to the starting point.”

The moment he stepped back, the crowd erupted in chatter again.

Excitement buzzed across the field as students hurried to find their teammates.

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“Nova, let’s team up.” Sophia said eagerly, looping her arm through Nova’s with a bright grin. “Okay.” Nova nodded lightly, her gaze drifting over the dense crowd of students in front of her.

All around, everyone was frantically pulling friends together, shouting names and forming groups.

She, however, felt no urge to join the chaos.

Truth be told, Nova preferred being on her own–free to come and go as she pleased.

Ten minutes later, Maxwell, Hannah, and several senior members of the Free Combat Club appeared, joined by Julian, Caleb, and Laura.

Even Claire–the campus beauty who always bad–mouthed Nova in front of Hannah–was among them.

From the looks of it, they had already formed a complete team.

Maxwell approached Nova directly. “You should join our group,” he said. “I’ve got some experience with survival training. As your brother, I can look out for you a bit.”

Hannah and Claire stood off to the side, both visibly displeased.

Hannah still acted like she couldn’t care less about Nova, barely even glancing her way.

Nova knew perfectly well that it was Maxwell’s idea to invite her; even if Hannah didn’t like it, she couldn’t really object.

“Sure.” Nova agreed.

“Don’t let Max fool you,” Caleb chimed in, grinning. “He says he’s got some experience, but he’s basically a pro. He goes on wilderness trips every summer and winter break.

“With him around, our group’s not surviving–it’s vacationing.”

Caleb thumped his chest.

Nova was slightly surprised to hear that.

She cast Maxwell a calm glance, to which he replied modestly, “I’m no expert, but I can manage leading a team.”

Hannah and Claire, who had been quiet until now, finally seized the chance to speak up.

Hannah let out a sharp snort. “As long as you don’t cause trouble, it’ll feel like a vacation. But if you do, you’ll drag the whole group down.”

Claire immediately backed her up. “Everyone here has survival experience. Like Hannie said, you’ll just slow us down. Don’t be a burden, okay?”

The tone in their voices made it sound like taking Nova along was some kind of favor.

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